Hospital/Health Insurance is different from the Student Health Fee. The student health fee covers only treatment at the University's health clinic for minor medical conditions. Health insurance provides more comprehensive health coverage of stays in a hospital.

The Student Health Fee is optional for ELI students. The Student Health Fee covers visits to the Student Health Service of the University of Pittsburgh. This is for non-emergency health needs, such as a cold or the flu. It does not cover emergency room or hospital visits. Visits to the hospital for more serious problems are very expensive in the US. If you need to go to a hospital emergency room for an accident (for example, a car or skiing accident) or if you need to stay in the hospital because of an unexpected illness (for example, surgery or serious sickness), you should have hospital insurance. You cannot buy insurance after an accident or illness has occurred.

We strongly recommend that you buy a health insurance policy to cover emergency room visits or hospital stays. If you cannot buy an insurance policy in your home country, the ELI can give you information about special short-term policies designed for international students studying in the US. These policies cost between $200 and $300/term (4 months), depending on your age and how long you will stay in the U.S.

Revised 9/1/04